Resources Archive - Page 4 of 5

How to Sign Up and Sign In With Single Sign On (SSO)

If you prefer to use an already-existing account to sign up and sign in to Circles, you can now do so. You have a choice of several accounts to choose from when signing up, which you’ll then be able to use each time you sign in. This guide will explain the steps to make that happen.

How to Sign Up

The sign up process can be started at https://my.circl.es/signup. In this case, as you want to sign up with a different account, you don’t need to add your name and email address in the fields at the top.
Instead, click on the account from the list below that you want to use.

You’ll then be asked to sign in to whichever account you have chosen, and you’ll need to give your permission for Circles to access this account.
Once finished, you’ll be taken directly to your new circle on my.circl.es!

Signing In

Any time you want to sign back in to my.circl.es, you’ll be presented with the same list of options at the bottom of the login page. Click the option that you signed up with, and enter your login details to access your my.circl.es account.

How to Monitor Breakouts in Progress

So you’ve sent participants into separate breakout circles, and now you want to keep an eye on the circles and be able to communicate with them. With the ‘Monitor Breakouts’ function on our breakout panel, you’ll be able to do just that from the breakouts dashboard. Be aware though that you’ll only be able to use this feature if you’re not included in the breakouts. Read on to find out how it works.

Opening the Breakouts Dashboard

Once you’ve assigned breakouts groups and sent them on their way using the ‘Breakouts’ button found in the ‘Advanced’ section of the settings menu, you’ll notice the ‘Monitor Breakouts’ button on the bottom left. Clicking this will open the breakouts dashboard in a separate tab. Note that you won’t be able to monitor breakouts if you assign yourself to one.

Monitoring Your Breakout Circles

On this new page the first thing you’ll see is the overview of the groups in the breakout circles, represented by circles on the top left of the page. Each circle will show sections that ‘light up’, each representing a participant in each group.

If a breakout circle needs your assistance, they can press the bell at the top left of their circle. You’ll get a notification on the bottom left of the dashboard, and an orange bell icon will also appear in the middle of the circle requesting your presence. To enter the circle, click the arrow icon just below and to the right of the bell.

Do you want to communicate with the breakouts groups? You can send a message to all groups from the dashboard in the ‘Broadcast Message’ section, and they’ll see it in the chat box on the bottom left of their circle. However, you won’t see any messages that the groups write in their chat box.

Uploading Multiple Circles at Once

In this article, we’ll show you how to use our CSV upload tool to easily create multiple circles at once.

Before you begin:

Here are a couple of things you’ll need to know before you start the CSV upload process:

You’ll need to use a spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets

You can upload up to 20 circles with 16 members in each (320 in total).

There are 2 parts to the CSV upload process: First, you’ll need to prepare your spreadsheet and save it as a CSV file. Next, you’ll upload the file in my.circl.es to create your circles. Read on to find out how.

Part 1: Preparing your file for upload

To prepare your file for upload, follow these steps:

1. Download the sample CSV template. Open it with a spreadsheet application such as Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel

2. Alternatively, you can open a blank spreadsheet and add the following column headers, in this order:

Column A : First Name
Column B : Last Name
Column C : Email
Column D : Circle Name

3. Next, add your circle information to the relevant fields in the spreadsheet. If you’re using the CSV template, make sure to delete the sample data.

Reminder: You can add up to 20 circles with 16 participants in each.

4. Once you’ve added all of your participants to the spreadsheet, you’ll need to save the file in CSV format.
You can usually do this by opening the “File” menu in your spreadsheet program, and looking for the option to “Export” or “Download as .CSV”. (Different spreadsheet applications will vary!)

If you’re creating your file in Google Sheets go to file > download as > comma-separated values file (CSV).
If you’re creating your file in Microsoft Excel go to file > save as > select .CSV from the “save as type” drop-down menu. Click Save.

Great! Now that you’ve prepared your CSV file, you’re ready to upload it!

Need help saving your file as a CSV ? Check out these tips from Excel and Google sheets too.

Part 2: Uploading your circles

To upload your circles to my.circl.es, follow these steps.

1. After logging into your my.circl.es account, click on “Circles” in the navigation menu at the top of the page, then click “upload circles”.

2. Now, you can either drag your prepared CSV file into the box that says “Drag and drop your csv file here”, or you can click “select file” and choose it from your file browser.

Note: If you click “Select a file”, you will only be able to choose files that are in CSV format

3. Once you have selected your file, click “Upload”

4. Next, you’ll arrive at the “Review your upload” page. Here you will see a list of all of the circles you are uploading.

In the top right corner, you’ll see a green box containing the total number of circles and circle members being uploaded

On the right of each circle name, you’ll see the total number of members being added to that particular circle.

5. If you click on the name of one of the circles, the box will expand and reveal all of the members within that circle for you to review.

Note: If your file contains any duplicate contacts in the same circle, we’ll automatically remove them from the circle for you. You’ll see a yellow box on top of the list of circles – hover over the box to see the details of your duplicate contact.

6. If everything looks good, simply click “Create circles”. You’ll see a confirmation message that the upload was successful.

7. Made a mistake with your circle upload? Simply click “cancel”, adjust the data in your spreadsheet as required, before exporting it as a CSV and uploading the file again.

Prefer to create your circles one by one? View this guide.

How to Open an Agenda From Other Circles or Organizations

With the new agenda browser model you can quickly and easily find the agenda you need, from any circle or organization you are a member of. This guide will show you how to import these agendas to the circle where you want to use them.

To open an agenda in the CircleSpace™️, click ‘Agendas’ on the top of the agenda space and select ‘Open…’ from the drop down menu.

Once the menu is open you’ll see several folders: ‘This Circle’ , ‘Program Agendas’ and ‘Sample Agendas’.
‘This Circle’ shows agendas that are assigned to the circle you are in right now.
‘Program Agendas’ contains agendas that are created at the organization level and moved to the Program Agendas folder of that organization. These agendas show as default upon entering the CircleSpace™️.
‘Sample Agendas’ are agendas available to everyone for you to copy and customize as you wish.

You’ll need to click the ‘Log In’ button and log in with your my.circles credentials to see the other circles and organizations you’re a member of.

Once you’ve logged in you’ll see drop down menus for the other circles and organizations you might be a part of, the ‘Other Circles’ and ‘My Organizations’ menu. Click into any of the circles or organizations and you’ll see folders the folders inside.

When you have found the agenda you want to open, just click ‘Open’ or double click and it will appear as the agenda in the circle.

Remember, you can always use the search bar at the top of the folder to find the exact agenda you’re looking for, and sort the folder various ways to make your search quicker.

Create Your Own Agenda

At Circles, agendas run our sessions! With their easy and interactive design, their structure supports facilitation with minimal distractions.

1. Choosing Where to Create Your Agenda

There are two ways to create new agendas, either in the CircleSpace™️ or in the My.Circles dashboard. We’ll explain both methods below, and the tools you can use when creating.

Creating in My.Circles

Go to your My.Circles Dashboard and log in using your credentials. When you select the ‘Agendas‘ tab on the top of the page the Agenda Library will appear.

Click the new agenda icon on the bottom of the library to begin a new agenda in whatever folder you’re presently in.

Creating in the CircleSpace™️

In the agenda space on the right side of the space, you can either click ‘Create a New Agenda’ if there is no agenda open, or ‘New Agenda’ in the drop down menu accessed by clicking ‘Agendas’

2. Tools to Use When Creating Your Agenda:

Agenda Editor

Start right away! The Agenda Editor is where you can begin to start editing your agenda’s name, set the title of the first page, and allocate time to the first section of your agenda.

Add a title to your current agenda page by selecting ‘Set Agenda Name‘
Begin to type into the ‘Page Name‘ text box to add in your first title.
Decide how long you’ll spend in this section by setting a duration in your progress bar.
Next, write the body of the text. You can use various useful functions:

Adapt the font size
Select a heading style (we recommend using H2 within the body)
Write something in bold, cursive, underlined or strike-through
Make a numbered list or bullet points
Add a hyperlink
Insert a picture (click on the image and insert the image URL)
Change the color of the font or background
Remove formatting
Add a button

NOTE: Adding an image works best when you first paste it into a text document, adjust its size, then copy and paste it directly into the body of your agenda.

Add Buttons to Your Agenda Page

Some of the most beloved features of the CircleSpace are the agenda buttons. They make it very easy to run an agenda by simply clicking on them. To add a button to your agenda, click the magic wand symbol and select what kind of button you want to add.

Agenda Table of Contents

To see an overview of your entire agenda, simply click ‘Contents’. A full overview of your agenda and assigned total time will pop up.

3. Saving The Finished Agenda

When you are done creating your agenda, click on “Save” at the bottom of the page.
After clicking ‘Save‘ you’ll be re-directed to the Agenda Library if you’re working from the My.Circles Dashboard. From here you’ll be able to see all the agendas in your Circle, browse other agendas from your organization, and also take a look at our Sample Agendas. You can easily access all options such as make a new agenda, make a copy, edit, or delete. Now, you are able to bring up your agenda in the CircleSpace™️.

Send Invites for Your First Circles Session and Enter the Meeting Space

Only people that you have invited into your circle can join you in your CircleSpace™️. Using their personal join links, your circle members can enter the CircleSpace™️ at any time, for example to check in with each other between sessions. The easiest way to share details of an upcoming session with your circle members, including their personal join links, is straight from your My.Circles dashboard.

STEP 1: Send invites for your first Circles session

Go to your My.Circles dashboard by logging in at my.circl.es, then navigate to your circle by clicking ‘Circles’ in the top menu. Once there, select the circle for which you want to schedule a session.
Select “Send session details” on top of your circle’s overview.

In the window that opens, select the date, time and duration of your session. Then, add a message about its purpose.
Select which of your members you want to invite by ticking or unticking the box next to their name.

Click “Submit” to to send an email to your selected participants that includes the following information:

Session details (date, time, and purpose)
Individual link to join the session
Tech best practices
An ‘Add to calendar’ link

Here is an example of the email that the participants will receive:

STEP 2: Enter your Circles meeting space

Select “Enter meeting space” in your circle or click on your personal join link under your name on the list of circle members.

NOTE: For the best experience we always recommend entering the CircleSpace™️ on a laptop or desktop – no mobile phones.

Before your first Circles session, learn more about t he features of the CircleSpace™️ and check out our quickstart guide for facilitators.

Create a Circle and Add Members

In this guide we’ll show you how to get started with Circles by creating a Circle and adding members. A Circle is a group of people that has its own CircleSpace™️, and each of the members has a personal join link that works like a password for the interactive video space.

STEP 1: Creating a Circle

Go to your My.Circles dashboard by logging in at my.circl.es , and click “Circles” in the top menu to access your list of Circles.
Click the blue “Create a new circle” button to the right of the list of Circles to create a new one.

Enter a name for your new Circle, and an optional description if you wish. Then click “Continue to add participants” to add members to the Circle.

STEP 2: Add Members to the Circle

Add the first name, last name and email address of the person you want to add.
Click “Add another member” to add multiple people at the same time. When done, click “I’ve added everyone” and then “Finish” on the following page.

The new members now show up on your Circle overview.

How to Test the Strength of Your Internet Connection

At Circles we always recommend connecting to your session with a strong internet connection. Not sure if your network speed is up to the task? Read on to see how you can test your connection to ensure the best experience possible when using Circles.

How to Test Speed

If you’d like to know how quick your internet connection is, we recommend using fast.com, an easy to use tool that will tell you your network speed in Mbps.

Permissions Issues

A common issue you may encounter is permissions in your browser. To find out how to give permissions for each of our supported browsers, click on the below links:

What Browsers Does Circles Support?

Wondering what browsers you can use to access Circles? See below for a list of the four major browsers that you can now join a Circles session with.

Google Chrome

Safari

Microsoft Edge

Don’t have any of our supported browsers on your laptop or computer? Simply go to the links below and download the browser of your choice:

We’ve also prepared some helpful articles to guide you through how to allow microphone and camera permissions in each of these browsers:

For the best experience, we recommend that you are always using the most up-to-date version of your chosen browser and that you turn off any browser extensions that may interfere with your session.

Add a GIF to Your Agenda

Why not bring a little fun into your session? Here is how you can bring GIFs into your agenda:

Once you’ve found the GIF you want to use in your agenda, drag it into your desktop

Open a new google document and drag the GIF onto it. Here you can resize the GIF as desired. You’ll know if the GIF is working because it will be animated within the google document.

Right click the GIF in the document and click ‘Copy’.

In your My.Circles or CircleSpace™️ agenda editor, click into the body of the agenda and paste the GIF where you want it to appear within the agenda page. (Learn more about how to create your own agenda.)

Click ‘Save’ once you’re happy with the agenda GIF.

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